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Thalamic hypofunction in alcohol hallucinosis: FDG PET findings.

Soyka M, Koch W, Tatsch K

Psychiatric Hospital, University of Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, D-80336 Munich, Germany. Michael.Soyka@med.uni-muenchen.de

We report findings obtained with positron emission tomography with fluorodeoxyglucose-F18 (FDG PET) as tracer in two patients with acute alcohol hallucinosis. In line with previous findings, both patients had a significant hypometabolism in the left relative to the right thalamus. When the second patient was retested after clinical recovery, FDG PET findings were normalized, suggesting the probable thalamic dysfunction to be a functional rather than a structural abnormality.

Published 16 August 2005 in Psychiatry Res, 139(3): 259-62.
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